Clutch-lock for motor-vehicles.



F. C. MASON. CLUTCH LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 29, 1917.

FRANK C. MASON, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CLUTCH-LOCK roe MOTOR-VEHICLES.

I Z all whom it may concern:

'-; Be it known that I. FRANK C. M SON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at L Angeles, inthe county of Los Angeles ,ai d Sta-te of California, have invented a new'and useful Clutch-Lock for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specifica- .v This invention relates to means for looking the clutch of an automobile or other motor vehicle, so that the machine cannot be startedor cannot be moved under ts .own power, thereby preventing theft of the machine.

y The main object of the present invention 15 to provide means for this purpose which 7 will constitute an effective lock and at the same time will not bring excessive strain on the locking means when the locking dev ce released.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of my invention and referring thereto: v i

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention as applied to a clutch control lever or pedal of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is an elevation from the opposite i side from Fig. .1, with the cover? plate reinoved. i

.- Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

form of locking bar and detent.

The devicccomprises a suitable frameor casing 1, a barrel or cylinder 2,. rotatively mounted in said casing 1, alookmgbar 3,

- ,movable through said barrel and a key-operated lock carried by said barrel and adapt ed to control the movement of said locking bar, 1

part of the dash-board indicated at 5 and may be provided with two annular standards 6 formed with cylindrical openings 7, in which the cylinder 2 is rotatively mounted, said cylinder being provided with end plates 8 and 9 secured thereto and engaging shoulders 10 on said annular standards for retaining the said cylinder from longitudinal displacement. Cylinder 2 is provided with holes 12 in its cylindrical wall, through which the locking bar 3 works, said locking bar being pivotally connected at H to the pedal 15, connected in any suitable or other manner to the clutch controlling means 1.6. The locking bar 3 is provided with one or more notches forming shoulders 18 adapt- Application filed December 29, 1 91 7. Ser ia llli'o. 209,580.

I of said slot." Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified eek been .1 t ereon rug-a5 The frame 1 may be mounted on the lower Specification of Letters Extent. Patented Feb, 25.,

ed to be engaged by a dog or seam-1a pivoted at 20 ona'lug '21 attached to the inside of barrel and spring engages said dog or detent' 19 so as to tend to hold c or force it intov engagement. 'with tlie one or other ofv the shoulders 18 in theloci? ing bar, and a spring engages said dog or detent's'o' as to tend to throw it outv of such engagement; sai'd'spriiig 25 being weaker than the spring 23 sothat its action ,isiovercome by that of spring when the latter is operative. The'liey-operated lock QT, of

any suitable construction, and provideo with a. key operated member 28 having keyhoie slot 28v fol-rece ving a suitable key, is'iii'ounted in'tlie cylinder .2 and is provided with bolt 29 controlled byopei'atio'ii of "the key operated member 28, saidbolt carrying a pin or projection 30 adapted to engage the spring 23 to move it away from the'deg or detent 1.9 and allow said dog or detent to be i'eleased from the locking bar by t! operation offspring Cylinder 2 may retained in position by a screw 26 in frame 1, engag'ing in aslot 26 in said cylinder; so as to prevent'endwise displa'ceinent'o'f the cylinder within said frame, while p rifitit ting rotati've movement 1 of the cy iin'der,

within the. limits determined the length In t lie iio'rina'l operation the clutthfccn; tro

v relaticnto'the driving (if-the in j the locking bar iifil'Ki wardand bztClQVtLltl through. the ho it fr in the dog being then lieldout i r notches 18 in the bar by {h device therefore in no way interferes with. the usual operation of the clutch pedal. When the operator desires to leave the vehicle protected he operates the look by means or a suitable key, inserted in the means 28, so as to retract the bolt and permit the spring 23 to press the dog or dctent 19 into eingagement with the bar 5). The operator may then press the pedal forward so as to throw clutch into released position and tlii movement the bar 3 is moved forwairt so as to bring one of the sluiulders 18 into enga ment with the detent 19, which then holds the clutch ineelmnism in released position, preventing unauthorized driving of the ve for placihgthe engine inane hicle. On unlocking the locking device bi means of the proper key, operatin the 100 to protract the bolt 29 and cause t 0 pin 30 to press the spring 23 back, and on then pressing forward the al 15 so as to throw ar 3 forward and relieve the detent 19 from the pressure of the shoulder 18, said detent is moved by its spring 25 out of position for cngu ement with the shoulders 18 so that the clutc means is freely movable to position for control of the machine in runnln It will be noted that the bar 3 is provid with inclined faces 38 forward of the respective shoulders 18, so that the bar can move freelv in one direction, say for throwing in clutc into released position. By reversing the directions of the shoulders and inclined faces on the clutch controlliu bar 3, the device may be adapted to lock t m clutch into operative position, so that a person in order to start the car, would have to crank the machine while connected to the drivin gear, and in some cases it may be prefer to depend on this manner of control for preventmg, theft, as it is almost impossible to crank the engine under such conditions. 'Or by making the shoulders square faced, and providin said shoulders in r0 1' iition on the bii r as shown at 40 in gig u formin the deteut indicated at 41, and a square fac tooth for engaging said shoulders, the bar may be held from movement in either direction, and the clutch may be locked in operative or inoperative tion, as may be desired. This form 0 detent and shoulder is also adapted to Ford machines, where it is desired to lock the clutch in neutral position.

o In the operation of the device as above described, the clutch controlling bar 3 slides in the holes 12 in cylinder 2 which serve to guide the same, and said cylinder turns in its bearings 7 in frame 1, so as to provide for the slight swinging movement of said her due to its pivotalv connection with the pedal.

What I claim is:

1. A locking device for motor vehicle clutches, comprising a clutch controlling member connected to and movable with, theclutch controlling mechanism, and provided with shoulder means, a detent movable into and out of en agcment with said shoulder means for ho fding the clutch controlling member in fixed position, a detent-operating spring for holding said detent in position for engaging said shoulder means, and key controlled means for engaging said detent operating spring to render it inoperative, said detent being provided with means for movinn' it out of position for engagement with the shoulder means when the key controlled means is moved to position for reudcring the detcnt-operating spring inoperative, and the clutch controlling member is moved so as to momentarily relieve the pres- I sure of the shoulder means on said dotent.

2. A locking device for motor vehicle -lutches, com rising a movable clutch controlling bar, iaving a notch formed with a shoulder, a frame, a cylinder mounted to turn in said frame and provided with ide means through which said bar is slida le. a

detent mounted in said cylinder,aspring for pressing said detent into engagement with said notch in the clutch controlling bar, a key controlled lock mounted on said cylinder and having a bolt provided with means for engaging said spring to remove it froln said octent, and a 5 ring for engaging said detent toremovei from said notch on such removal of the first named sprin t In testimony whereof I iave ereunto subscri ped my name this 18th day of December, 191 a FRANK 0. ason. 

